IIT Gandhinagar, IAIRO sign agreement to advance AI research and talent development

The Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) and the Indian AI Research Organisation (IAIRO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on Artificial Intelligence (AI) research, education, innovation and talent development.

Under the agreement, both institutions will undertake joint research projects and explore opportunities to secure research grants.The collaboration will also include efforts to develop AI infrastructure through external funding support.

The MoU will also enable both institutions to jointly supervise PhD students, offer research internships, support expert appointments, and share research facilities and computing resources as per their rules.

IITGN and IAIRO will conduct short-term courses, certificate programmes, conferences, seminars and workshops together. IITGN researchers will train IAIRO scientists, while IAIRO experts will support teaching and research activities at IITGN.

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IITGN–IAIRO partnership

Rajat Moona, director, IIT Gandhinagar, said, "The Indian AI Research Organisation is a significant step towards enhancing India's AI research and innovation ecosystem. IAIRO is located in GIFT City, adjacent to IIT Gandhinagar and this collaboration is a natural opportunity to build each other’s strengths. AI is already changing the game in sectors like healthcare, life sciences and drug discovery, and will continue to expand across sectors. We combine our complementary expertise in research, talent development and innovation to deliver meaningful outcomes that contribute to India’s growing AI capabilities”.

Addressing the collaboration, Amit Sheth, founding director and CEO, AIRO, said, “India's AI ambitions will be realised through strong partnerships that connect world-class research with real-world innovation. As we continue building the Gujarat AI Valley ecosystem, this partnership will play an important role in nurturing talent, enabling breakthrough research, and strengthening India's position as a global AI innovation hub”.

Highlighting the significance of the MoU, Vimal Mishra, Dean of Research and Development, IIT Gandhinagar, said the partnership will combine research expertise and infrastructure to advance AI research, innovation and talent development. Sanjay Chaudhary, collaborations and operations lead, IAIRO, added that the collaboration will create opportunities for joint research, faculty exchange, AI programmes, student engagement and sharing of research resources to support researchers and students.